


lightening is just another word for thunder

by OliverLewty



Series: We burn brightly, we burn-out just as quickly. [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternative Energy, Crimes & Criminals, Family Feels, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen, Markers, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Pre-Canon, Secret Identity, Secret Organizations, Supernatural Bonds
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-19
Updated: 2019-06-20
Packaged: 2020-05-14 18:07:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19278637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OliverLewty/pseuds/OliverLewty
Summary: Little makes sense in the way of logic in the Grandline, even less so in the New World. But even with the knowledge of it, that won't stop her from reaching to her goal with both hands even if she will get burnt. She will bring freedom to those who have never known it, bring the seas to those who have been told no, she will pull those who have been put down so that they reach the skies. She would, she should. She will.





	1. Chapter 1

Kaito is thirteen when her village is destroyed.  

 

There is fire everywhere, screaming and yelling. Smoke filled the air and penetrated the little air pocket she had hidden herself in when the riders had began to ransack the village.

 

Her mother is nowhere to be seen, her father's corpse cooking at the bottom of the stairs. Filling the air with stench that burned her nose.  

 

She wondered where the riders came from when they had attacked her village and mourned over the death of those around her.

 

Kaito is thirteen but she isn't _stupid._

 

So she stayed where she is, despite everything in her wanting to leave, to find her mother and just run, _run far away_.

 

Smoke filled her lungs and made her heart thunder against her chest, tears pooling at the corners of her eyes and she _can't-_

 

She doesn't know how long she stayed, the screaming had long since dwindled to faint sobbing. She doesn't know if it's been minutes or hours, but the faint tapping of heavy boots that shake the floorboards make her huddle in the corner quickly.

 

The footsteps stop, before starting again. This time in her direction. Kaito feels fear take hold of her lungs and tried to keep her breathing quiet as she wheezed.  Boots came to a halt just a few steps away from her hiding stop and she held her breath.

 

"Little shell," the voice was gruff and husky, like the rumble of machinery starting up. "Are you the one named after freedom?"

 

Her breath caught, she knows those words. The ones her mother would whisper in the dead of night when she was tucked up against her side, telling her stories of the seas and great men that did bad things and bad men that did great things.

 

Her name is Kaito, meaning sea and ocean, and to fly and soar. Her mother had named her after the things that had taken her brothers and uncles when the allure had been to strong for them to ignore. Unlike her mother who had never felt it, who preferred to stay on dry land despite how she never settled properly.

 

"My name is Kaito," she whispered, feeling like the world had titled and finally made sense. Her words slipping past Common into one her mother told her never to speak to anyone but her family. "I am the one that will _fly-soar_ and bring freedom to those that have never tasted it. I am the one that will _bring-seas_ when they try to keep others from it."

 

There sharp intake of breath. "Well then, hello little sky. My name's Buck, I am the one that is the _secret-keeper_ of your family line. Won't you let me in?"

 

Kaito nodded, scrambling out of her hiding space quickly. She knew the amount of trust being a _secret-keeper_ implied and that her mother had no doubt been the one to name him theirs she knew she would be safe.

 

She held out her arms and let the man lift her up, holding her against his side. She felt awfully small compared to the man. Looking the man over, she saw the tell-tale sign of her family lines _secret-keeper_ , a marking that looked like a padlock surrounded by ocean waves, clouds and dry grass sat on his upper forearm.

 

Kaito tightened her grip on the man's clothes, tight that they were. She knew what the dry grass meant, her mother's mark was one of lush grasses, sprouting flowers and trees like a godlike garden but now, looking at the mark she knew her mother was aboard the train for the _Either._

 

She felt grief rise up in her and pressed her face into the man's neck with quiet sobs, knowing better than to sob too loudly in case any of the Riders were still around.

 

"Shh, little sky." Buck whispered as he left the burnt home that no longer would be home. "I know, I know."

 

By the time they made it out of the village, she cried herself to exhaustion. Buck still hadn't whispering soft words for her unless they were too close to the remaining Riders to risk it.

 

She was far too tired to listen to him when they reached a small ship, it looked well-loved and well-used so she guessed it was Buck's and let her eyes closed. She let herself be guided into sleeps embrace with a song in her head and whispers in her ears.


	2. Chapter 2

It's been three days since they left the Island and Kaito hasn't managed to pull herself out of her grief and depression. She had rarely eaten what Buck had given her, mostly just eating enough not to get sick or light headed but that was it.

 

She knew she was making Buck worried with each day she couldn't snap herself out of it, but it was just too heavy for her to shoulder.

 

There was also the added fact that her mark came in yesterday, telling her that she was the head of the family. Especially with how much it took up and how much was on it.

 

Her marking was fresh, a day old. It sat on her forearm, taking up most of its space. Ocean waves and cloudy skies where what took up most of it with bits of fire lily flowers around the edges - a mark for her mother - even if they looked dull and withering.

 

Her father's work, a smithing hammer with a golden hilt sat just underneath the waves, covered in her mother's lily's, grandfathers instrument strings a thin but sharp black blade with its hilt wrapped with feathers of white, gold and yellow sat besides the waves like part of a frame and some from her uncles she hadn't really known very well at on the other edges.

 

The part of her mark that held her attention was the clouded sky on the upper side, the darkened parts of the tattoos had little petals of roses with what looked like slashes of air surrounding them, making a little tornado of roses.

 

Her brother's mark, someone she can hardly remember even when she tried. Her mother told her very often how he had left to protect his family, but especially her as he had been getting a bit too famous with his bounty.

 

What she can remember of him is deep laughter and a hat that he always wore. She's pretty sure he had facial hair too, but it was more like stubble at the time.

 

Where will she go? She asked herself, hunching over her hands. She could try and find Rufus and see if he would take her in, he was always one of the more carefree cousins of hers. Astor was far too serious, even if he could be a softie when the situation demanded it so he could be a choice. But she was far more likely to run into a Marine Admiral than Astor so that was out.

 

She could ask Buck to help her find Maris, she figured. He was a big time pirate, wasn't he? That's why he never came back.

 

Twisting around, Kaito stared at the door before she got up. Just in time, as Buck had arrived with a knock before letting himself in. He carried a plate with finger-food on it, causing her hands to clench and her stomach to rumble when she realised how hunger she actually was.

 

"Little sky," he grumbled. Closing the door behind him he walked over, his boots clanking against the wooden floor. "Eat."

 

His tone booked no room for arguments so she sat down and ate as much as she could.

 

"Buck." She said. "Will you help me find Maris?"

 

Buck looked at her, eyebrows raised. His fingers twitches like he wanted to hold something, probably the pipe he liked so much. "Maris? That's your brother, isn't it?"

 

"Yeah."

 

"Hmm." He hummed. "Your...Mother spoke often of your brother. I think that when your birthday came this year she would've let you read his letters he sent to you.  I don't think they survived the Riders, and even if they did I don't think it would be wise to go back. "

 

Kaito stayed silent, curious over his reasoning.

 

"If your brother is as smart as his uncle's, he would've changed his name, you know that right? I don't know his pirate name, nor your uncles. Your mother made me _secret-keeper_ to her line, which is Matriarch ruled. While your father was always more than happy to follow, his line wasn't a patriarch. "

 

She nodded. "Yeah, I know. But we could look at the wanted posters and see who looks close enough. If we're lucky we could run into Rufus or Astor before." She paused. "I know we have some distant relatives in East Blue, and some in North Blue."

 

"Right, okay. We'll do that tomorrow.  What we should do now is get you to bed, you should get some _actual_ sleep this time, little sky." Buck frowned, the lines around his eyes pulled tight.

 

She pushed the plate off the bed and gave it to Buck with a sigh. "Okay. I'll try my best to sleep tonight, is that good enough?"

 

Buck's lips twitched briefly, fighting to hide his smile. "I suppose so."

 

Kaito let herself fall backwards onto the hammock with a grunt before twisting herself in the blankets there, her face pushed against her pillow.

 

She her Buck snort before his pressure on the side left, his boots making their way to the door. "Goodnight, little sky."

 

"Goodnight, Buck."

**Author's Note:**

> Secret-keeper; Meaning - one who holds secrets: a secret keeper of a family line is usually one that's from a family that's been secret keeper for the family line a long time. Its kinda like Godparents/guardians 
> 
> Riders: like Bandits but more brutal, they're known to only roam the New World.


End file.
